Meaning of 海关
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- customs (i.e. border crossing inspection)
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 海关
海关 is the government customs office or the customs checkpoint at airports, ports and land borders. It often appears in phrases like 过海关 (guò hǎiguān, to go through customs). Example: 我们在机场过海关。(Wǒmen zài jīchǎng guò hǎiguān.) We went through customs at the airport.
海 (hǎi) means sea and 关 (guān) means a pass or gate, so 海关 is the sea gate where goods and travelers coming in from overseas are checked. Picture an officer standing at a gate by the harbor, closing it until your bags are inspected.
Common mistake: Learners often write 关 with the top two strokes missing, which makes it 天 (tiān) or 大 (dà). Also keep the tone on 关 as first tone guān, and do not confuse it with 观 (guān, to look), which sounds the same.
海关 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
海 hǎi · ocean · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
关 guān · mountain pass · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 海关.
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | it doesn't matter |
| 关上 | guānshang | to close (a door); to turn off (light, electrical equipment etc) |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to be concerned about; to care about |
| 大海 | dàhǎi | sea; ocean |
| 海边 | hǎi biān | coast; seaside; seashore; beach |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 关系 | guānxì | relation; relationship; connection; to concern; to involve; to affect |
| 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to; to follow sth closely; to follow (on social media); concern; interest |
| 相关 | xiāngguān | related; relevant |
| 关于 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning |
| 关闭 | guānbì | to close; to shut (a window etc); (of a shop, school etc) to shut down |
| 海水 | hǎishuǐ | seawater |
Questions about 海关
What does 海关 mean?
海关 (hǎiguān) means "customs (i.e. border crossing inspection)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 海关?
海关 is made of 2 characters: 海 (10 strokes), 关 (6 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 海关 an HSK word?
Yes. 海关 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 海关 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 海关 is written 海關.
Does 海关 only mean customs at seaports?
No. Even though 海 means sea, 海关 is used for customs at airports, train stations and land borders too. The name simply comes from the idea of a gateway for things arriving from abroad.
What is the difference between 海关 and 边检?
海关 checks your goods and luggage, such as items you must declare. 边检 (biānjiǎn), short for border inspection, checks your passport and visa. At most airports you pass through both.